


Forget Me Not

by Amycat8733



Series: Lightning 'verse [11]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Family, Romance, Sentient Atlantis, h/c
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 05:07:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amycat8733/pseuds/Amycat8733
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After an accident steals Teyla’s memory, will she be able to remember their present… or will the device that stole their past destroy their future? Takes place before Thunder Rolls during season 6-7.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Mysra originally had this idea, and my kitty latched on with his own take on it.  
> Thanks to firedew1 for the beta!

 

“McKay, would you hurry up?” John grunted between clenched teeth. “I can’t hold this stable much longer!”

“Just a minute longer, Colonel!” Rodney shot back. “It’s almost done.” 

Unnoticed by either man, Teyla stepped closer to the glowing sphere floating in front of John. Entranced by its shifting colors, she reached out to touch it. Just before her hand contacted the surface, John turned and caught sight of her.

“Teyla, no!”

Too late, her fingers brushed the glowing surface. The light flared and the sphere expanded, throwing her into a nearby wall. Her head impacted the unyielding surface with a crack and she slumped to the floor in a motionless heap.

The sphere’s expansion caught John as well and sent him flying in a similar manner into a nearby console to land in a crumpled pile, the sounds of an explosion following him into darkness.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Squeezing through the canted doors of the lab, Carson beheld a war zone. There was debris everywhere. Wondering where his patients were, he looked around, trying to find the telltale shapes that would identify bodies. He heard grunting and scraping sounds behind him, and then a bright light lit the area. With the light, Carson was able to spot his first patient. 

Rodney lay crumpled against a pile of debris. A quick exam revealed a lump on his head, but no broken bones and no bleeding.

After sending his friend off to the infirmary through the newly opened doors, Carson spotted the second member of the group. Teyla lay off to one side, small pieces of debris covering her. Checking her over, he found a knot on her head as well as flash burns on her hands and face. She also had a few minor cuts but nothing too serious. Carson had just sent her off when a shout drew his attention to a third location. The searchers had located the Colonel.

Moving that direction, Carson watched the searchers pull debris off the Colonel’s unmoving form. He thumped down at Sheppard’s side just as the last piece of debris was moved. A quick exam revealed flash burns on his face, a deep cut on his cheek that would require stitches, another deep cut on his neck and a myriad of small puncture wounds on his chest, arms, neck and face from flying glass and metal fragments. Carson hurriedly placed gauze pads on the deeper cuts as a stretcher was brought in. Sheppard was carefully picked up, carried out and placed on a gurney for an express trip to the infirmary.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John surfaced to a soft breeze and dim lights. Wondering where he was, he took a deep breath. Antiseptics and lemon Pine-Sol told him he was in the infirmary. He pried his eyes open and looked around. Rodney was on a bed to his left, Teyla to his right. He shifted and winced at the pains his body was informing him of. Grunting, he reached for the bed’s remote, raising the head slightly. The motion attracted Rodney’s attention.

“’Bout time you woke up.” Rodney crossed his arms in a huff. “I was about to change your name to Van Winkle.”

Feeling the pull of a bandage on his neck, John carefully shook his head. “Nah, I like surfing, skateboarding and flying too much to sleep for twenty years.” His expression sobered. “How are you?”

Rodney uncrossed his arms and picked his tablet up. “I’m fine. I’d be even happier if Carson would spring me from his voodoo hospital.”

“Now, Rodney, we’ve had that discussion. You took a hard hit to the head an’ I want to keep ye for observation.” Carson frowned as he entered their area. “Keep yer whinin’ goin’ and I’ll pull out the big needles and take yer tablet away.”

Rodney clutched the tablet to his chest like it was his child, a look of shock on his face. “You wouldn’t!”

Carson put his hands on his hips, leaning forward slightly. “Try me.”

John smiled at the look of horror on Rodney’s face at Carson’s threat then memory smacked him. “Doc, how’s Teyla?”

Carson bustled to his side, grabbing his wrist to check his pulse. “Well, physically she’s just a mite better than you. She got flash burns on her face an’ hands and a right nasty goose egg on the back o’ her head, but she didn’t get peppered with glass shards or need stitches like you did.”

John relaxed slightly. “That’s good.” Catching Carson’s gaze, John casually rubbed his hand over his abdomen then glanced pointedly at Teyla. He saw understanding dawn on the doctor’s face and let out a soft sigh of relief when Carson gave him a sharp nod that the baby was okay.

A moment later, sensing there was something he wasn’t being told, John’s eyes narrowed. “Carson?”

He released John’s wrist, once again surprised by the Colonel’s intuition. “She hasn’t awakened yet. If you feel up to it, I’d like ye to sit with her an’ see if you can draw her out. I’m concerned that the blow and the shock may have done her injury.”

“Of course, Carson.” John flashed a grin to hide his worry. “I’d have done that anyway.”

After a quick wound check, Carson left. John wasted no time in moving from his bed to the comfy chair between the beds. After a few attempts at conversation, Rodney realized that all of John’s attention was focused on Teyla, so he left him alone although he did glance up every so often and check on his friends.

John stayed at Teyla’s side as much as he could. When he tired, he shifted so his arms were resting on her bed, her right hand trapped in his. His mind constantly reached out for her, trying to find her and prod her awake. If he concentrated hard, he could pick up her essence, but it was faint and hard to find.

He stayed that way until Carson threatened to sedate him. After a good night’s sleep, which he was pretty sure he owed to Carson, he was back at her side. He did have to get up and move around, so it was during those times he reached out to her through their bond.

Late the second day, he felt a stirring from her as he came back from the bathroom. “Teyla?” He reached out with his mind, but hers was still muted and he wondered if it was due to the head injury.

After a few moments, her eyes flickered, long lashes fluttering. 

“Sweetie, can you open your eyes for me?”

With a bit of a struggle, she finally managed to open her eyes. He watched as she blinked a few times to clear her vision before focusing on him.

“Colonel?”

John was confused. Why was she calling him ‘Colonel’? She only did that nowadays when they were offworld or in a formal or professional setting. “Yes, sweetie. It’s me, John.”

Teyla frowned. “I am sorry, but it is not seemly that I call you by your first name. You are my team leader and it is better that I refer to you by your rank. Also, I would prefer that you not call me ‘sweetie’. As I understand it, that is a term used for a lover, and we are only friends.” She glanced up, looking at someone over his shoulder. “Hello, Dr. Beckett, Dr. McKay; is there something wrong?”


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: This chapter contains mention of events from The Legacy series by Jo Graham and Melissa Scott._

John was shocked, his mind whirling in confusion. With just a few sentences, Teyla had just yanked the rug from beneath his feet. A gentle hand on his shoulder pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up into two pairs of concerned blue eyes.

“Rodney, why don’t you take the Colonel and get some lunch?” Carson’s tone said that he had a pretty good idea what those words had done to his friend.

Rodney nodded, shaking off his own confusion. “Um, sure, that sounds good.” He grabbed John gently around the arm and tugged him to his feet. “C’mon Sheppard, I heard they got a shipment of honey turkey and some Doritos in.”

John shook off his lethargy and let Rodney pull him along. “Yeah, sure. Sounds good.” He glanced down at himself. “I want to stop by my quarters and change. I’m not going to lunch in scrubs.”

As soon as the pair left, Carson settled on a stool at Teyla’s side. “How’re ya feelin’, lass?”

Teyla closed her eyes for a moment. “My head hurts, and the skin on my hands and face feels tight and sore. How did this happen?”

Carson shined his penlight into her eyes, checking her pupils. “Well, lass, I need to ask ye some questions. What’s the last thing you remember?”

She frowned, a crease forming between her elegant brows. “I remember you and the others returning from Earth and that Major Sheppard is now a Lieutenant Colonel. Everything else is a jumble of flashes that make no sense.”

Carson patted her on the arm. “Don’t worry about it, lass. You took a hard hit to the head an’ it’s not unusual for that to cause some memory loss. I’ll have some lunch sent in for you then we’ll see about getting you up and around. I’ll probably let you leave the infirmary to see if being in the city shakes yer memories into place, but I ask that you spend your nights here.”

Teyla nodded. “That is reasonable, Doctor Beckett.” He stood to leave, but she stopped him. “Doctor, is there something wrong with Colonel Sheppard?”

“You may call me Carson.” Carson returned to the stool. “Nothing too serious. He got knocked in the head and I had to pick a wee amount of glass splinters out of his hide, but that’s it. Why do ye ask?”

“The Colonel looks … tired and he seems older than I remember him appearing. You and Doctor McKay also seem … different.” She frowned again. “According to your calendar, what year is this?”

Carson looked at her, a thoughtful look on his face. “What year do you think it is?”

“2005.”

Carson smiled, though his eyes were full of concern. “I’m sorry lass, but it’s 2011.”

Teyla sat upright, shock on her face. “You are telling me that I have lost six years?”

Carson shook his head as he placed a calming hand on her shoulder. “Not lost, just misplaced. I’m sure they will come back once yer brain chemistry settles and yer brain heals.” Settling back on his stool, Carson made some notes on her chart. “Now, I’m going to send for some lunch for ya, and if yer still feelin’ alright, I may let ye out o’ here tomorrow.”

Teyla shook her head in denial. “I do not wish to stay here. I feel fine and would like to go to my quarters.”

“Nay, lass.” Carson gazed at her with sympathy. “Until yer brain chemistry equals out, I want you here at night in case there are any problems. I’ve dealt with this type of injury afore, and the rememberin’ can be rather traumatic sometimes.”

Teyla crossed her arms in a huff and acquiesced with ill grace. “Very well, since you insist.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John’s mind was still a mass of confusion as he and Rodney moved through the halls. Teyla’s response had thrown him completely. She had called him by his name for years now, and she’d recently told him that she loved it when he called her sweetie. She’d told him that it made her feel special. Now that was gone and his heart felt like a Jumper had landed on it.

As if sensing his thoughts, Rodney spoke up. “She’ll be fine, Sheppard. Carson will figure out what’s wrong and fix her.”

For some reason, Rodney’s answer irritated him. “Dammit, McKay, she’s not a car. You can’t just pop the hood and fix her.”

Rodney flushed at the comment. “I know that.” He took a deep breath. “Look, whatever happens, we’re here for you – both of you.”

“I know.”

Rodney stepped inside with John when they reached his and Teyla’s quarters. John stopped and looked around, pain shining in his eyes. Walking into their bedroom, he slumped down on the bench at the foot of the bed, forearms braced on his thighs, hands dangling loosely between his knees, head drooping towards his chest. After a few moments, John looked up at his friend. “Rodney, what am I going to do if she never remembers us? Hell, I don’t even know what to tell Torren. It’s just a good thing he’s with Halling and Jinto right now.”

Rodney knelt in front of John, placing a hand on one drooping shoulder. “Sheppard … John, I promise you, we’ll get through this. You can tell him that Teyla’s off on a mission.”

John shook his head, not looking up. “That would only work until someone said her name or he saw her in the mess hall. I’d have to keep the kid locked up and I’m not going to do that. I can keep him away for a few days and hope it’s enough.” He took a deep breath, struggling for control as he released it. “I have a week to figure it out and hope her memory comes back. After that, I’ll tell him the truth and we’ll get by.” A touch on his shoulder had him looking up.

“We’ll get through this, John. Just remember you’re not alone.”

John scrubbed his hands across his face. “Yeah, you’re right.” He stood and headed for the bathroom. Grabbing some clothes, he turned to look at Rodney. “I’m gonna hop in the shower. Make yourself comfortable.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Liang and Amelia were on duty when an odd request came in over the frequency that they had given to the Travelers. After listening for a moment, Liang turned to Woolsey. “Sir, we have received a transmission from Larrin of the _Storm Chaser_ , requesting permission to land. She says she needs to make repairs to her ship that can’t be made in space.”

Woolsey frowned. He knew of her history with Colonel Sheppard and cursed the woman’s lousy timing. Carson had informed him of Colonel Sheppard and Teyla’s conditions. Just having her here was going to be an additional stress that his Military Commander did not need right now, but the Travelers were also allies and Coalition members. Refusing could be very bad. “Very well, tell them to come ahead and alert Major Lorne.”

Liang acknowledged the order and set about his work.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John, Rodney and Ronon had just finished lunch when John’s radio chirped. Even though he wasn’t on duty, he still had his transceiver with him. Rodney and Ronon watched in concern as the smile that John had been wearing for the last several minutes vanished, his jaw tensing as it did.

“Thanks for letting me know. Keep a team on each entrance armed with stunners and another team nearby as floaters. No one enters the city without being searched and escorted, especially her. Sheppard out.” Clicking off his radio, John stood. “Thanks for lunch guys, and for the distraction. We have a visitor that I really don’t want to see, so I’m going to make myself scarce.” He grimaced as he picked up his empty tray. “I’ve no desire to be kidnapped again. See ya later.” With that he hurried off, dumping his tray and disappearing.

Ronon looked at Rodney. “Larrin?”

Rodney nodded. “I presume so. She’s the only person alive in this galaxy that we know of who would want to kidnap him.” He looked over at Ronon. “Keep an eye on him. I have a bad feeling.”

Ronon nodded. “Was planning on it. He’s my brother. I’ve always got his back whether he wants it or not.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Larrin was impatient as her pilot carefully guided the ship down towards the floating city. Part of her impatience stemmed from wanting to get the repairs done so they could return to space. The larger part of her wanted the repairs to take longer so she could spend more time with the yummy Colonel Sheppard. Every time she saw him at a Coalition meeting, she was struck by his masculinity and the aura of power that covered him like a cloak. Hopefully Teyla was out of the city; otherwise she’d never get near Sheppard.

As the _Storm Chaser_ settled, she made her way to the ship’s gangway. Stepping out, she was met by a slim, blond soldier and a team of four. The soldier stepped forward.

“Ma’am, I’m Lieutenant Waters and I am your escort. Director Woolsey has asked that you meet with him.”

Larrin plastered on her best smile. She’d been hoping for Sheppard or the almost-as-delicious Lorne. “Certainly, Lieutenant. Lead the way.”

Larrin was as surreptitious about her rubbernecking as she could be. The city was truly a marvel. Gazing around, she could imagine how good her clan’s ships originally looked and wondered if they could ever be that way again.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

On Carson’s suggestion, Dusty, Miko, Jennifer, and Ronon used pictures and recreated Teyla’s original quarters in hope that it would jog her memory. They used a room on the team’s floor because her original room had a current occupant. John helped them locate things, taking pictures of each item before it was moved, but he stayed in their quarters because anything else was too painful.

Zelenka and Rodney had an engineering team working on Larrin’s ship. They wanted her gone as quickly as possible. Each of the scientists had a Marine guard so Larrin couldn’t kidnap another gene carrier.

Standing on his balcony just after sun rise, staring down at the docked ship, John decided to make sure she couldn’t get away with anyone. _*”Lantis, activate the docking system on the pier. I want that ship locked down until repairs are complete.”*_

_*”May I ask why?”*_

John’s jaw tightened in remembrance. _*”Because Larrin kidnapped me, beat me, and tried to keep me for breeding purposes. None of her people have the ATA gene, so she thought she’d improve the genetic mix.”*_

Atlantis was silent for a moment. _*”I see. It is done.”*_

As she spoke, John saw the soap bubble shine of the docking shield go up. That ship would not be leaving with any of his people or him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

After breakfast, Teyla was released from the infirmary. Dusty offered to act as guide and confidant. Carson had filled the Marine in on what had happened and cautioned her on saying too much. Fortunately, Dusty was quite willing to just be company and let the Athosian rediscover her past with no interference.

“Sergeant Mehra, are we friends?” Teyla asked without turning from her tour.

Dusty pondered her answer. “We are. We’ve been friends for a while now, and because we’re friends, you can call me Dusty.”

“Would you answer some questions for me?”

“If I can,” Dusty told her. “Doc Beckett gave me strict instructions on what I could and could not answer. He even showed me the big needle he said would be in my future if I screwed up. ”

“Have we defeated the Wraith?”

Dusty chuckled. “No, but it’s not for lack of trying. They’ve been fighting amongst themselves a lot lately, plus Queen Death really did a number on them.”

Teyla stopped dead in her tracks, a confused look on her face. “Queen Death?”

Dusty took a deep breath. “Yeah, she rose up and started giving the other Queens two options: join or die. Any Queen that refused to join her was killed. “

Teyla winced in sudden pain. Dusty grabbed her arm to support her and steered Teyla over to a wall.

“Teyla, you alright?”

Teyla nodded. Taking a deep breath, she straightened. “I am fine. Our conversation triggered some memories.”

Looking around, Dusty spotted one of the seating nooks. Still holding her arm, Dusty steered Teyla towards it and pushed her to a seat. “What did you remember?”

Teyla closed her eyes for a moment to center herself. “I remember being on a Hive ship chasing a Wraith that looked like Dr. McKay with a man with long hair and Colonel Sheppard. There were several flashes from a stunner and Colonel Sheppard was on the floor unconscious. Next there was another bright flash and the three of us were on a ship with a blond woman who appeared very concerned.”

Dusty recognized the events. “Can you remember their names – the long-haired man and the woman?”

Teyla stared off into the distance, a look of concentration on her features. “The woman, her name has to do with a mode of transport such as a wagon.”

Dusty smiled. That was close to the Wraith translation of Carter’s name. “Mmmm … a cart, maybe?”

“A cart?” Teyla rolled that thought through her mind. “A cart … cart … Carter.” Teyla suddenly sat up straight. “That is Colonel Carter.”

Dusty smiled. “Yep. That is Colonel Samantha Carter.”

“The man … he was a Runner.”

Dusty nodded. “He was. You and Colonel Sheppard encountered him on an uninhabited world.”

Teyla stood, pacing for several feet either direction as if the motion helped her thoughts. “Ronon. His name is Ronon.” She abruptly sat down again, clutching her head. “So many faces … names … places. It is almost … overwhelming.”

Dusty took her hands, steadying her. “Just take it easy. Don’t force it and the memories will come.”

Teyla closed her eyes once again. “I see … Colonel Sheppard in so many of my memories. Sometimes we are here, in the city; other times we are on different worlds. In some he is wearing the grey uniform, other times he is wearing black or he is wearing,” Teyla stopped, a light blush blooming on her cheeks, “his … civilian clothes.”

Dusty snorted. She had a feeling that jeans and a button down shirt weren’t the only things Teyla had remembered seeing the Colonel in. She stood, drawing Teyla with her. “I think you need some lunch and a nap. I don’t want to explain to Carson that I let you pass out in a hallway.”

Taking a deep breath, Teyla nodded. “I believe that you are correct.”

 

* * *

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Leaning on the balcony rail, John was enjoying the solitude. He enjoyed having friends and a family, but sometimes he needed alone time to center himself. Today, it wasn’t so much about centering, it was about worrying. Torren would be back in seven days. Hopefully, Teyla’s memory would return by then, or at least enough of it for her to remember her son and their relationship. The only thing worse he could think of than having to concoct an explanation for Torren would be explaining the boy to Teyla, along with her pregnancy. She was four and a half weeks along and, fortunately, had not yet developed a baby bump. He did not look forward to having to explain the situation if it went too long.

A chime drew his attention away from the ocean. Reaching out, he used the security system to see who was at the door. Fortunately, it was Rodney and Ronon with lunch. He thought the door open, granting them access, and headed into the suite. He had news to tell and figured that over lunch was as good a time as any.

“You’re what?” Rodney was so shocked that he spat out a piece of grilled near-chicken.

John leaned back in his chair to avoid any other food missiles. “Teyla and I are having a baby. She’s almost five weeks along.”

Ronon slid from his chair and enveloped John in a bear hug. “Congrats, brother.”

John patted him on the back while trying to catch his breath. “Thanks, Ronon. Now put … me down … so I … can breathe.”

Ronon set him on his feet, face split by a huge grin and steadied John while he caught his breath. Realizing the implications, his expression quickly sobered. “This is why you’re so worried about her memory?”

John dropped back into his chair. “Yeah. It’s going to be hard enough to explain to Torren if her memory doesn’t come back in the next few days.” Leaning forward, he buried his face in his hands. “Having to explain that she’s carrying my child when she doesn’t even remember our engagement is a conversation that I’d rather not have.”

A large warm hand settled on his shoulder. John peeked through his fingers up into Ronon’s brown eyes. “John, have faith and stay strong.  You’ve gotten through worse situations than this and you’ll get through this one too.”

Another hand landed on his other shoulder. John turned and looked into Rodney’s blue eyes. “We’re the Three Musketeers. We’re with you all the way. You know, all for one and one for all. Now, why did you wait to tell us that you were pregnant?”

Both of John’s eyebrows shot up as Ronon burst out laughing. “Excuse me? I think I have the wrong equipment for that, unless you know something I don’t.”

Rodney stared at John and Ronon for a moment then he realized what he’d said. He shook his head in disbelief. “What are you, twelve? Get your minds out of the gutter. You know what I meant.”

A small smile graced John’s face. “Yeah, I do. We hadn’t told you yet because we wanted to get used to the idea ourselves.” John made a face. “We were planning to tell you this weekend on our trip to the mainland. We wanted to have a private celebration for family only before telling everyone else.”

Ronon looked at him. “That’s why you wanted Amelia to get the day off.”

John nodded. “Yeah.” Taking a bite, his face grew thoughtful as he chewed. “Carson got Dusty to escort Teyla around some today. Wonder how they did?”

Rodney swallowed his food. “No idea. You could always call and ask. It is your privilege as Military Commander to keep up with the health of those under your command, and especially those on your team.”

John stared for a minute, amazed at the insight from his normally oblivious friend. Narrowing his eyes, he stared at Rodney. “Alright, who are you and what have you done with the real McKay?” 

Rodney spluttered, narrowly missing showering John and Ronon with water. “Hey, I can be insightful!” He lowered his eyes. “Plus I did occasionally pay attention while Jennifer and I were together.” He mumbled as he took another bite.

“Great time to get in touch with your feminine side!” Smiling, John reached for his com just as his door chime sounded. Curious, he reached out to check the security feed before opening the door with a thought.

The door slid open, revealing a surprised Carson standing on the other side. “Ah, lad, ye startled me! I tend to forget how easily you do that!”

“Care to join us, doc?” John drawled with a spark of humor in his eyes.

Carson poured a cup of coffee and pulled up a chair. “Thought I’d come by an’ give ye a progress report. Teyla regained a few memories today.” Taking a sip, he focused on John. “She hasna remembered your relationship yet, but she remembers seeing quite a bit of you in various … outfits. She’s also remembered the two o’ you plus Sam Carter.” He took another sip and reached for one of the cookies on John’s tray. “Accordin’ to Dusty, she knows where most things are, and she’s recognizing people that have been around since the beginning, but anyone past the first year is hit and miss.” At the smiles that erupted, he held up a finger in warning. ‘There’s still quite a ways to go yet, so don’t start celebratin’.”

Sobering quickly, John looked at Carson. “I know, but it’s still good news.” Taking a bite of his sandwich, he chewed as he thought. “Is there a way for us to help her memory?”

Carson shook his head. “No. The only cure is time. Dusty and Amelia are gonna take her around some more tomorrow. Normally, since you’re in the memories she’s regained, I’d have you do it, but I think you’re a little too involved.”

John lowered his head. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Carson wrapped his arm around John’s shoulders. “Buck up, lad. Have faith an’ it will be alright.”

John nodded. “I know. It’s just … really hard to sit, and wait. Wanting to help and knowing I can’t … is wearing on my nerves.”

Carson squeezed a bit harder. “I know. But that wasn’t the only reason I came by. I came to give you a checkup, so if we can adjourn to yer bedroom …”

Standing, Carson gave John a hand up and guided him towards the bedroom, John acquiescing without demur.

A short time later, the two men exited the bedroom, John with a bit more spring in his step. 

“Just remember, I cleared ye for light duty and a limited workout. That does not cover sparring with Ronon or yer Marines.”

John waved a lazy hand at Carson as the doctor headed for the door. “I hear ya doc, and thanks.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Running._

_She was running through the dim woods, a white shape pursuing her. She thought the white shape – a Wraith – would catch her. Ronon and Rodney were too far away to help her._

Why did she think they would be unable to help her? 

_John. Where was John?_

Why was she referring to the Colonel by his given name?

_He would save her. He always came for her._

Why?

_Ahead, in the woods, a dark shape stepped out from between two trees. John. His arms raised, he pointed a heavy machinegun behind her. Bursts of fire exploded from the muzzle as John fired. Turning, she watched as the Wraith jerked, the heavy caliber shots causing it to stagger and fall._

_Turning back, she watched John shoulder the heavy weapon even as he turned his gaze upon her.  His eyes glowed a smoky green in the dim light as he stepped towards her, his free hand coming up to caress her cheek._

_“Teyla, I told you that I would always come for you, no matter what.” His hand shifted to cup her cheek. “It’s because I lo…”_

At that very moment, her eyes snapped open to take in the bright lights of the infirmary. Confusion reigned for a moment, and then her determination to recover her memory reasserted itself. Swinging her legs off the bed, she headed for the bathroom, a change of clothes in her hands. When she came out, Dusty and another young woman were waiting for her.

Dusty turned to face her, a smile lighting her dusky features. “Teyla! I brought a friend to help us.”

Teyla paused, her head cocked to one side as she studied the newcomer. As she stared at the woman, images flashed into her head. Images of sitting at a table across from her, facing off against her in a sparring ring, watching her seated by Ronon’s side as they watched a movie floated through her head. “A … Amelia?”

Amelia clapped her hands, her long, dark hair flying. “That’s awesome!” She jumped up, hugging Teyla tight. “I’m so glad you remembered me!” 

Teyla returned the hug, glad another piece had returned.

Dusty stood, clapping her hands together. “Well, now that that’s done, let’s get breakfast.”

Walking through the halls, listening to Dusty and Amelia chatter, more pieces of her memory filtered into place. More of the faces they passed seemed familiar, and with many of them she was able to attach names, but some still eluded her.

During breakfast, Teyla unwound enough to join in the joking, although at times she felt a bit out of her depth.  From the corner of her eye, she spied Colonel Sheppard entering the mess hall, Ronon, Dr. McKay and Major Lorne accompanying him. Her eyes tracked him as he passed along the tables to gather his meal.

Dusty and Amelia, noticing her distraction, followed her gaze.

“Oh, I see the Colonel is back on duty.” Amelia grinned. “I know he’s glad about that.”

Teyla looked at her curiously. “How can you tell?”

Amelia stared blankly at her for a moment, and then shook herself as she remembered why Teyla would ask that question. “Well, I can tell he’s back on duty because he’s wearing his uniform. The glad part is easy ‘cause I can spot the spring in his step.”

Mulling over Amelia’s words, Teyla studied the Colonel. He was clean shaven although his hair was still messy. He had on a black shirt and trousers – BDUs, she remembered they were called - along with black boots. When he turned to answer the Major, she saw a pale triangle of flesh below his collar. A few dark chest hairs peeking above his shirt, although her memory, spotty as it was, told her that he normally wore a t-shirt underneath.

Beside her, Dusty leaned over to comment softly in her ear. “Teyla, quit staring and eat. You have a duty to that man to recover as quickly as possible.”

Teyla leaned into Dusty. “How so? I am not under his command.”

Dusty gave her a smile normally reserved for someone being slightly dense. “You are part of his team, and he relies on your knowledge and advice when dealing with many of the cultures we encounter. If you get sick, you can’t help, and he needs all the help he can get. We all do what we can to make his life easier.”

Amelia leaned in. “Yeah, Dusty’s right. Being responsible for the protection of this city and head of the military contingent is a huge job, but he’s also in charge of most of the city’s supply chain. He also personally oversees training, exploration of the city and new planets, as well as spending time with Zelenka and McKay testing devices.”

“I see.” Teyla nodded. “You are correct. Since he bears such an enormous amount of responsibility and is in charge of our security, it is our duty to make his life easier.”

Dusty bumped her shoulder. “I knew you’d get the picture.” Privately, she hoped Teyla would regain her memories of their relationship soon. From the tension in his shoulders, he could definitely use someone to help him unwind.

The three women spent a sizeable portion of the day together, but separated just after lunch. Amelia and Dusty both had duties to attend to. After another checkup and a memory quiz, Dr. Beckett allowed her to roam on her own. He did, however, give her an active tracking device that would allow her to be easily found if she became ill while warning her away from dangerous areas of the city.

Teyla spent the rest of the day exploring and testing her returning memories. Returning to the infirmary to spend the night under the watchful eyes of Dr. Beckett and his staff, Teyla vowed to work diligently to stimulate her mind and, in doing so, regain her memory.

 


	4. Chapter 4

The next afternoon, she found herself exploring the team floor. The reasoning had been explained to her and she agreed with it, although something seemed … off. She did not doubt that the Colonel had moved to the quiet residential tower in order to have larger quarters to raise his son and because of his position. She also did not doubt that Dr. McKay and Ronon had moved to the floor in order to keep the team close together. What felt odd were her quarters. The rooms did not feel … lived in.  She perused her memories for a reason, but came up blank. Shaking off her musings, she was startled to find herself outside Colonel Sheppard’s quarters. As she stopped to wonder why her feet had brought her hence, the door opened. She poked her head inside, and called out but received no answer. Curious as to why the door had opened for her, she stepped inside. A pace beyond the door, it closed behind her. Moving down the short entryway to the main living area, she paused for a moment, her gaze taking in the room’s warmth and spotting several framed pictures on one wall.

Moving carefully through the room, she approached the framed portraits. One was of Colonel Sheppard as a younger man standing with three other men in front of a strange machine. Another was of the Colonel with a woman that he strongly resembled, wearing a blue uniform and holding a sheet of paper. Several were of the Colonel, Doctor McKay, Ronon and herself taken in different places. One, though, drew her eye. It was a large frame, beautifully made and it had been taken down from the wall, a bare spot proclaiming its former location. Reaching out, she picked it up with trembling fingers, turning it face up then dropped it in shock.

The picture showed herself in a beautiful green dress and Colonel Sheppard in the blue uniform from the earlier picture, although with more decorations. They were both smiling broadly. Above them was a banner that read “Congratulations on Your Engagement!” and it was dated June, 2010.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John was confused. It was a rare experience for him because, even though he might act it on occasion, it was usually a cover while he thought through a situation.

For the past few days, unless he was in his quarters, he kept encountering Teyla. When they ended up in the same room together or passed in the corridors he could feel her eyes tracking his every move. He wanted to go to her and explain everything, but Carson’s warnings and his desire to have the woman he loved back stopped him.

Too restless to use the private gym on the floor below the team’s quarters, John decided to use one of the public ones. It was a pretty good chance that he’d be able to find a sparring partner. At the very least, he could work out against the practice dummies.

Entering the gym, he was surprised to find it vacant. Shrugging, he dropped his gear bag and started on his warm-up exercises. He was in the middle of his stretches when a hand gently touched his shoulder. He expected it to be Teyla, but instead found himself looking into Larrin’s pouting face.

“You’ve been avoiding me.” She stated as she ran her hand across his back.

He had, but he wasn’t telling her that. “No, I’ve been resting in my quarters. I was injured recently on a mission.” He looked around suspiciously.  “Where’s your escort? I know I gave orders that you were to be escorted whenever you entered the city.”

Her hand trailed up his arm, cupping his jaw as she maneuvered to kiss him. Realizing her intent, he slid away from her touch. “Oh, I lost them. It took a bit of work, but it was very easy to distract them with some sleight of hand.”

John made a mental note to find out which team was supposed to be escorting her and show them how unhappy he was that they lost her. “Look, Larrin. You’re a heck of a lady, but I don’t want you like that. You and I together are like oil and water – they don’t mix.”

Larrin was undeterred. “But John, we could make such beautiful babies.”

John shook his head. “The only woman I plan on making babies with is Teyla. I don’t spill my seed without love.”

“You could love me.” Larrin purred as she advanced on him.

John backed away again. “That would never happen. Not even if you were the last woman in this galaxy. You don’t respect me and I trust you about as far as I could throw you with one hand tied behind my back. I’d go back to my ex-wife first and we separated because she wanted me as her trophy and that I could get her into the fancy parties she loved so much.”

Larrin stumbled, her face a mask of anger. Letting out a yell, she tried to slap him.

John blocked her, grasping her wrist carefully. “Don’t even.” His eyes were dark with his own anger. “Normally, I wouldn’t hit a lady, but for you I’d gladly make an exception.” Releasing her, he shoved her away.

Larrin stood, staring at John in disbelief. No man had ever turned her down, and he had now done it twice. With a huff, she turned and stalked from the gym without a backwards glance.

With Larrin gone, John let out a sigh of relief. He’d meant every word and hoped it would be enough to finally get her off his trail. 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Dobie eased out from the alcove he’d ducked into. He’d seen his Captain practically run from the room where the Lantean male was. It bothered him to see her flinging herself at this strange man. He’d stood by when she had kidnapped the man and attempted to get him to join them. After the man left, Dobie put him from his mind. Now, here they were in the City of the Ancestors and his captain was trying the same things again with even less success. It upset him to see Larrin holding back tears, so he decided to teach this arrogant man a lesson for hurting his boss.

Slipping to the door, Dobie crouched so he could watch. The man was dressed in a black shirt and odd-looking grey pants, throwing punches and kicks at a large cylinder hanging in one corner.  When he stopped for a drink of water, Dobie moved into the room with an incredible amount of stealth. Silently picking up a discarded staff lying to one side, Dobie advanced on his target. Just as he brought the staff down in a short, hard strike, his target moved as though warned by some sixth sense.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John returned to his workout after Larrin left, her advances giving him even more fuel to add to his stress-fueled fire. Taking a break, he grabbed a water bottle, sipping as he toweled off. He’d just capped the bottle when his spidey-sense jangled his nerves, making him shift with the feeling. A hard blow to the shoulder answered the question in his mind. The blow dropped him to his knees, white hot stars of pain shooting down his left side. Shifting quickly, John dropped the rest of the way and hooked his opponent’s feet from beneath him. Taking advantage of the situation, John rolled away before clambering to his feet. His left shoulder was a throbbing mass of pain that hurt worse when he tried to move it so he figured the guy had dislocated it.

Without taking his eyes from his opponent, John backed across the room to the practice dummy and his bantos rods. He’d started his workout with some kickboxing and had planned to switch to the bantos after his break. Now, it looked like the slender rods were going to save his life. Spotting them from the corner of his eye, John spun and threw himself forward, narrowly missing another strike from the stranger. 

Tucking and rolling, John came up with the two rods. Transferring one to his injured left, he forced his fingers to wrap around it as he brought the other up. Ducking and dodging, John avoided as many blows as he could while landing some of his own. The whistle of displaced air warned him of an overhead strike coming in. Sliding aside, John spun and landed a hard hit to the side of his attacker’s head, the other rod slipping from his numb left hand. The guy shook his head like a bull with a fly buzzing his ears; blood ran from a cut over his ear as he narrowed his eyes and charged. His strikes grew harder and faster while pain started making John stumble, his shoulder throbbing with each heartbeat. 

After sidestepping a nasty figure-eight combination, John stumbled again and almost pitched forward. Even as he tried to regain his balance, John heard a whistle just before he saw the staff coming in from the side and knew he couldn’t avoid it. He blindly launched a last desperate blow to deflect it. He heard and felt a hard crack then the lights went out as he dropped to the floor.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Wandering through the halls, Teyla kept an eye out for Colonel Sheppard. More memories had surfaced after seeing the picture in his quarters of the two of them, but she was still unsure of the nature of their relationship. She desperately wanted answers and felt that Colonel Sheppard was the only person who could answer them.

Lost in thought, she was almost run over by a strangely dressed woman wearing an angry expression upon her face. 

Having noticed Teyla, the woman paused in her flight. “Teyla Emmagan, I don’t know what you did, but you’ve ruined any chance I had with John Sheppard.”

Teyla stared at the woman, but no name surfaced. “Excuse me, but do I know you?”

“Know me?” The blond haired woman laughed. “You certainly do! We’ve parried across the table often enough at Coalition meetings.” Seeing that Teyla still did not recognize her, the woman relented. “Larrin, of the Travelers.”

At the word ‘Travelers’, something clicked in Teyla’s head. “You are the one that kidnapped Colonel Sheppard some few years ago.”

Larrin smirked at Teyla. “I did and I’d do it again. The man is absolutely yummy, and that gene of his is very attractive to me and my people.” Her smirk turned to a frown. “Unfortunately, he’s besotted with you and won’t even consider me as a mate.” Her gaze traveled from Teyla’s face to feet and back. “I don’t even know what he sees in you.” She said with a sneer. “Maybe it’s sympathy for the loss of your people or …”

Whatever else Larrin was going to say was lost as Teyla landed a hard slap that made the other woman’s ears ring and split her lip. Recalling a comment Amelia made about any of the Travelers that entered the city had to be escorted, Teyla reached up and keyed her comm. “Teyla to Major Lorne.”

_“Lorne here – what’s up, Teyla?”_

“Major, I discovered Commander Larrin moving through the city unescorted.”

A string of curses filtered through the mike. _“I’ve marked your position, Teyla, and a team is on its way.”_ She heard a rustling as he covered his mike for a moment. _“Teyla, can you stop by the main gym and inform the Colonel? He’s not answering his comm or our hails.”_

“Certainly, Major.

_“Thanks, Teyla. Lorne out.”_

Teyla aimed her best glare at the stunned Traveler. “Do not move until your escort gets here. I must go check on Colonel Sheppard. If I find that you harmed him, you shall receive more than a slap next time we meet.”

Spinning on her heels, Teyla shot off down the corridor Larrin exited from, her recently restored memories supplying that it led to that particular gym.

Arriving at the gym, Teyla peered in, spotting a huge stranger wielding a staff about to land a blow on the dazed and bleeding Colonel. She watched the Colonel launch one final blow even as the staff neared his head, and looked around quickly for something to distract his opponent. She spotted a bantos rod lying nearby. She snatched it up, flew across the intervening space and launched a desperation blow of her own. Her blow landed with a sharp crack on one of the major nerve bundles, causing the brute’s blow to miss landing squarely and instead glance off his skull. The stranger staggered towards the door, stopped, swayed then dropped like a felled tree.

Satisfied that the Colonel’s attacker was down, Teyla knelt at his side. She winced at the misshapen silhouette of his shoulder, guessing it to be dislocated. She was reaching for her radio when a screech rent the air. 

“Dobie!” She stalked over to Teyla, visibly angry. “What did you do to him?”

Teyla stood, unruffled in the face of her anger. “I knocked him out. If I had not, he would have killed Colonel Sheppard.”

At the mention of John’s name, Larrin’s anger faded. Seeing a chance, Larrin darted forward and kneeled at John’s side, clasping his hand greedily. “John? John, it’s me. You need to wake up, honey.”

John’s lashes fluttered as a soft moan escaped. “Teyla? Love you, Teyla.”

At his soft words, Teyla stopped in shock. 

Larrin, on the other hand, saw her plans thwarted. If she had been able to get Sheppard to admit he loved her, she could have stayed in the city. But no, he had to be in love with the Athosian bitch. Taking two steps, she grabbed a handful of Teyla’s hair and punched her.

The blow snapped Teyla from her daze. She pulled away from Larrin, turned and dove for the floor, coming up with John’s bantos rods. 

Seeing Teyla armed, Larrin spotted Dobie’s dropped staff and snatched it up. Staff weaving a fancy figure eight, Larrin advanced on Teyla.

Now armed, she took up a guard position facing the Traveler commander. She thought about calling for security but the sight of Colonel Sheppard lying battered on the floor set her blood boiling. Casting thoughts of security aside, she waded in, sticks flying, to deliver a thorough thrashing. Larrin was taller, and she was an excellent fighter, but her style was suited to the cramped corridors of a spaceship not a wide-open gymnasium. Teyla took advantage of that flaw, ducking and weaving even as she landed blow after blow all while staying firmly between the Colonel and the Traveler.

For her part, Larrin tried, but against Teyla she was outmatched and she knew it. Sparing a moment, she thanked the Ancestors that the Athosian had not been with Sheppard the first time they met. She had a gut feeling the outcome would have been much different. She spied an opening and thrust Dobie’s staff towards Teyla’s unprotected side only to have the opening close which left her open for Teyla’s hard riposte. Larrin attempted to dodge, but was only partially successful as the blow sent her rolling across the floor.

Frustrated, Larrin rolled to her feet. She took a guard stance and felt something trickle across her lip. She reached up and wiped at her face. When she drew her hand back, it was smeared with blood. Enraged, she threw herself back into the melee.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Lorne came to a dead stop as he entered the gym. The scene before him was shocking. He knew Teyla was a warrior, and had observed her as she worked out against Ronon or the Colonel. That woman was graceful, relentless and merciful. The one before him held little resemblance to the other. The Teyla before him was ruthless, using every trick and twist she could to rain down punishment upon her opponent.

After he asked Teyla to check on Sheppard after she found Larrin wandering unescorted, he’d expected a callback from one of the two. He attempted to contact Teyla via radio, but when he received no answer, he decided to check on them personally.

He made room as Ronon slipped in beside him to watch the battle being waged in front of them. He noticed an oddity in Teyla’s movements then realized she was protecting someone. “The Colonel’s down.”

“I’ll get him. You call Beckett.”

Lorne reached out and grabbed Ronon. “Wait. It’s best we don’t move him. We could injure him further.”

Ronon growled, but stayed put, pacing angrily.

“Lorne to Beckett.”

_“Beckett here. What can I do for you, Major?”_

“Doc, you’re needed in Gym Three. The Colonel’s injured.”

A sigh filled his ear. “ _Ach, trouble just finds the lad. Any idea how badly?”_

Lorne shook his head then remembered that the Scot couldn’t see him. “No. He’s unconscious. Teyla and Larrin appear to be fighting over him.”

_“Oh, my. I’m on my way, Beckett out.”_

Without taking his eyes off the unfolding drama, Lorne tapped his com to access the command channel while he watched the best catfight in history. “Major Lorne to Major Teldy.” 

_“Teldy here.”_

“Colonel Sheppard was attacked by one of the Traveler crewmembers. I need you to come to Gym Three and escort the Colonel and Beckett to the infirmary.” He took a deep breath before moving on. “Anne, I want you and your team on guard with Ronon. Use situation code Alpha One.”

Teldy’s voice came back sharp. _“Code Alpha One it is. Teldy out.”_

Lorne turned back to the fight. Normally, this is something he’d break up, but this was between two Pegasus natives, so he let it be. He also perceived that there was more to the animosity between the two women, and the Colonel was at the center of it.

A racket in the corridor announced Carson’s arrival with a med team. 

With medical on site, Lorne motioned for Ronon to move in. He edged around until he was behind Teyla.

Teyla guessed what Ronon intended and became even more aggressive as she forced Larrin away from the Colonel with hard, fast blows.

When the two women were far enough away, Ronon beckoned Carson and his staff to Sheppard’s side.

Carson slid to his knees beside his patient, one hand darting out to check John’s pulse. Pulling out his penlight, Carson checked his vitals, only partially grateful at the results he was getting. He rattled off John’s stats to Kelly as he pulled out a scanner to check him over.  “He has a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, and most likely other injuries as well, but I need the Ancient scanner to confirm.” Gently touching a knot on the side of John’s head, he checked the integrity of his skin and skull. “The lad’s got a nasty knot here, but the skin’s na broken nor do I feel a skull fracture, but I’ll know more when I run the scans.”

Initial diagnosis made, Carson and Kelly gently lifted John to the gurney while Ronon stood guard. Once they had him secure, they headed for the door at a fast trot. They encountered two more groups of soldiers in the hall. Major Teldy and her team fell in as escort while Lieutenant Reynolds’ team hurried by. Ronon took point; his imposing presence quickly clearing the way to the infirmary.  
  


 


	5. Chapter 5

Teyla fought two battles: one with Larrin and the other with her own memories. The fight against Larrin was the easier and more familiar of the two. She ducked as Larrin took a wild swing at her head. The Traveler may have been adept at fighting with a gun or commanding a ship during battle, but her lack of experience on the ground was telling quickly. Deciding to end the fight quickly, Teyla lunged; her left knee bent and swept Larrin’s feet from beneath her. The Traveler Commander hit the floor hard and laid there, prone, blood oozing from her busted knuckles and a split lip.

Teyla stood, walked over to Colonel Sheppard’s equipment bag, and placed the ironwood rods inside. 

_We’re not on duty. You can call me John._

She slung John’s bag over her shoulder and headed for the door. Just as she drew near Larrin, the obstinate woman reached out and grasped her ankle.

“This isn’t over. He’ll never be yours.”

Teyla bent down, an icy expression upon her face. “That is where you are wrong. John is mine, has always been mine, and shall always be mine. And if you ever come near him again, your ship will need a new captain.” With that, she straightened, kicked her ankle free and stalked out the door.

“Wow, remind me to never piss her off,” one of the soldiers breathed out.

Lorne let out a snort. “That’s never a good idea, but it’s even less of one whenever Colonel Sheppard or Torren is involved.” He motioned Larrin’s escort forward and told them to take her back to her ship. “The same goes for the Colonel too. Don’t ever get in his way if something happens to her or Torren.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Hours later, the waiting area bore a closer resemblance to the locker room right before a mission than a room in the infirmary. Teyla had John’s bag which, in addition to his bantos rods, towel, and water bottles, held a black case containing a Beretta 9mm and several clips. Ronon, of course, had his pistol and Teldy’s team was armed for Wraith. Situation Alpha One was used whenever Colonel Sheppard was in the infirmary and there were outsiders present in the city. It meant that the team on guard had orders to stun first and ask questions later, and it also restricted access to certain parts of the infirmary to senior command staff and just a few of the medical staff.

Upon Teyla’s arrival in the infirmary, Dr. Nick Strauhan took her aside for a checkup. He was glad to hear that her memories were returning. Seeing John lying crumpled on the floor had caused a surge of remembrances. He showed her some pictures and she scored very high on recognition and recall. When shown a picture of Torren, she recognized him and asked about him. He was currently with Halling and would be back in three days.

Since then, she had taken a seat in the waiting area. Rodney showed up thirty minutes after they arrived in the infirmary, bringing both a laptop and a tablet with him. He handed her the laptop before settling in a corner where he could watch the door to the treatment area. Going through the picture files on the laptop Rodney had placed in her hands was strengthening her memories.

A soft whoosh focused her attention away from the photos and towards the doors. Carson stepped through, looking decidedly weary. He poured a cup of coffee then sat down with a soft thud.

“Well, the Colonel got lucky this time. He narrowly avoided a concussion, although he’ll probably feel like he has one with the twelve stitches I had to put in. His left shoulder was dislocated. It took a bit o’ time to reduce it enough to set it. He also has several bruised ribs, and the blow that dislocated his shoulder caused a hairline fracture to his collarbone. Once the swelling goes down a bit more in his shoulder, we’ll take the bone mender to it.” He took a long gulp and sighed. “I’m going to keep him here overnight then release him to quarters.” He turned towards Teyla and smiled. “Well, I understand that this incident shook a lot of yer memories loose.”

Teyla nodded. “It did, but there are still some occurrences that I am unsure as to their timing. I am hoping that Colonel Sheppard will be able to place them in the correct order for me.”

Carson nodded. “Aye, you can speak to him about that now. The two of ye are so close that I didn’t want that to influence yer recall.”

He looked over at Teldy and missed the look of confusion that crossed Teyla’s face. “When do our guests leave?”

Teldy frowned. “Not for another week. I know it’s an inconvenience, but we’ll have teams posted here until you release the Colonel.”

“I’m not holding it against ya, lass.” Carson finished his coffee and stood. Rodney, Ronon, and Teyla stood with him. Glancing over his shoulder and realizing that he was leading a train, he simply nodded and led the group to the Colonel’s bedside.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Teyla disliked confusion and disliked feeling confused even more. Sitting in the dim infirmary watching the Colonel … John … sleep provided her with ample opportunity to put her scrambled recollections back into order, but the conflict between what she thought and what she felt was hampering the process.

Many of her memories were of the two of them spending time together. Sometimes, Ronon and Dr. McKay were with them, other times not. She remembered the celebration that Elizabeth held for John when they returned from Earth. John was embarrassed to be the center of attention, but accepted everyone’s well wishes with grace.

She remembered running with him from both villagers and Wraith. Eating popcorn in his quarters while viewing a movie. She blushed as she remembered admiring his muscular physique as he toweled off after bathing. Just thinking about the trail of dark hair that started on his upper chest and flowed down to surround his member roused a heat deep in her loins. 

She looked over at John, admiring the chiseled planes of his face. Sleep smoothed out the lines in his face and transformed him into the man she met on Athos so many years ago. 

The confusion stemmed from the memories of their … carnal pursuits. She had many memories of him in various positions that could only be achieved through intimacy. Even more mystifying were the images of John with his hands on her abdomen or of him leaning down to whisper to her belly and plant soft kisses there. In some of these she felt that they were alone, but in others she noticed that Torren, her son, was present. This was an action that she had seen couples share on many worlds. It was a way for those without mental gifts to bond with their yet to be born children. They were more confusing because, as best she knew, she was not pregnant.

Teyla ached with longing for John to be awake so she could ask him the questions simmering in her heart, but she knew sleep was the best thing for him. John had awakened yesterday evening with a terrible headache accompanied by nausea. Carson allowed him to stay awake just long enough for John to confirm that she was unharmed before the kind doctor slipped a sedative into his IV line. Before he left for the day, Carson stated that he was going to release John to his quarters to recuperate in peace the following afternoon. With this knowledge in hand and sensing John would be more forthcoming in private, she decided to wait until then to ask her questions.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It was almost lunchtime and John was about to release himself from the infirmary. Carson did this every time and it was getting really old. Any time he was scheduled to be discharged, Carson would tell him first thing in the morning while performing an exam. Then, instead of freeing him after the exam was over, the doctor would insist he eat breakfast first. After that, it became an act of torture. 

A rustle by the open door announced Carson’s arrival.

“Hey Doc, ‘bout time you got here.”

Carson bustled over. “Well, I do have other duties than to wait on ye hand and foot.” He pulled out his penlight. “Now, just let me do a quick exam an’ you can go.”

John heaved a deep sigh. “Carson, I have been patiently sitting here since the last time you checked me over. Unless you’re saying that your infirmary isn’t safe …”

Carson stared at John for a moment, and then put his torture device away. “You’re right, lad. I’ve just gotten a bit paranoid when it comes to your health.” He put out a hand and assisted John from the bed. “Now, that shoulder is still healing. No running or other physical activities. You can take morning walks. When you leave here, go get some lunch and then go straight to yer quarters to rest.”

A shadow eased through the door and turned into Ronon.

“Hey, buddy. Glad to see you.”

Ronon nodded. “Glad to see you too, Sheppard. Ready to go?”

”Unless the Doc has anything else to tell me.”

Carson gently swatted John on the back on his right side. “Och, off with ye afore I decide ye need an early physical.”

John flashed a grin. “Thanks, Doc.”

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

When Carson informed them of Sheppard’s impending release, Ronon volunteered to escort him to his quarters. When asked, Sheppard had given him a blow by blow account of the attack. That Sheppard only sensed the ill intent at the last minute showed how stressed out his friend was right now. Any other time, especially with potential hostiles in the city, the Traveler would’ve never got that close. Ronon felt he’d let Sheppard down by not being with him the day he was attacked. To make up for it, he would be staying by Sheppard’s side until this whole mess with Teyla was straight.

All of this led to him walking through the corridors, just behind and to Sheppard’s left to guard his injured side. Dressed in khakis and a pale blue button up shirt, the dark blue sling stood out and only served to highlight Sheppard’s off-duty status.

When they reached the mess hall, one of the staff came over and asked them what they wanted. Just like Ronon himself, the city’s staff was determined to look out for their Colonel. With their requests made, Ronon escorted Sheppard to their table in the corner.  They ate quickly once the food arrived. Lingering over dessert while Sheppard finished eating, Ronon decided to bring up a subject they’d avoided the last few days.

“Have you talked to Teyla yet?”

John shook his head. “No. Whenever she’s visited, I’ve been asleep or she’s been so skittish that she makes Rodney look placid and calm.”

Ronon snorted at that picture. “Well, now that you’ll be in your quarters, maybe you can get her to calm down and talk to you. She’s regained a lot of her memories. That’s probably what’s making her so jumpy.”

John popped the last bite of his sandwich in, chewed and swallowed. “If she’s not sure of the context of some of those memories, then that would explain it.”

Ronon gathered their trays in one hand and pulled Sheppard to his feet with the other. “If she starts avoiding you and won’t talk, let me know and I’ll bring her there myself, even if I have to stun her.”

John marveled at the loyalty his brother gave him. It was great to have the big Satedan at his back. It made him feel better knowing that he was there. The situation with Teyla and Larrin had really stressed him out. He looked forward to resting in his quarters. This time of day, the sun would be hitting the balcony at just the right angle.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Teyla watched as John and Ronon entered the mess hall, but was too nervous to enter herself. Staying in the area would have looked suspicious, so she headed for her quarters. She had stayed in them while John was in the infirmary, but they still felt … off. The rooms were airy and spacious, but they did not feel lived in. She wandered through the city for a time, following the draw of her memories to places she and the rest of the team had spent time together before heading for her quarters. Just before she turned towards her own, she cast a glance across the hall towards John’s suite. Unconsciously, her feet headed in that direction as if to say ‘you belong here’.

The door whispered open for her as it had on the previous occasion she had come here. She cautiously edged through the door looking for John. Peering into each of the rooms, she failed to spot him, but some instinct told her to keep looking. A breeze upon her cheek led her to the balcony off the main room. She pulled back the curtains and found her quarry. John was lying on a lounger placed to receive full sun. He was still wearing the pale blue shirt and trousers he had worn to lunch, but his feet were bare, exposing pale toes to the sun’s warmth. The dark blue sling stood out in stark contrast, protectively supporting his injured shoulder. The only addition to his outfit was the mirrored sunglasses he had donned before lying down. She blamed those lenses for not realizing he was awake.

“Hi, Teyla.”

She spun to face him, having had one foot in the doorway to leave him to his rest. “Um … Colonel … John, I did not mean to disturb you. I am sorry. I shall leave.”

“Oh, no you’re not.” He sat up just as the door that led back into the suite closed. “Ever since you woke up, you’ve been shadowing me. The last few days, however, any time I was awake, you made yourself scarce or came up with some other reason not to talk to me.” He furrowed his brow. “Carson told me you’ve regained most of your memories. There are quite a few in there that I’m sure have you very confused.” His face smoothed as he looked up at her. “Why don’t you sit down so we can talk about them?”

Her shoulders slumped as she submitted to the earnestness in his voice. Spotting a chair nearby, she sat down and faced the ocean.

John watched her closely. He could see how tense she was and decided to do the one thing he could to get her to talk. He decided to just sit quietly. She had used the same move on him often enough in the past. Even though he was getting better about talking without the prod of silence, he knew it would work on her for the same reason.

“I see many images of … us. In some of them we are with friends, having meals or watching movies. Other times we are speaking with villagers or exploring places of the Ancestors. But there are others as well.”

John took a deep breath, releasing it slowly through his nose. “These others are the ones that have you confused?” he asked softly.

“Yes.” She stopped, took a deep breath, started to speak again, and then blushed. If the situation wasn’t so serious, he’d laugh and tease her for how cute she was.

“In these other memories, you and I are together. In some we are sitting very close, while in others we are …” Her voice trailed off.

“Let me guess, in those others we are undressed?”

Teyla nodded vigorously. She stood and gripped the railing tightly. “My mind says that we are friends, yet my heart tells me we are more.”

John stood and approached her carefully, coming to stand near her. “Teyla, we have been friends from the moment we met six years ago. We care for each other very deeply.” He turned towards her and propped his hip against the rail. “We have loved each other almost as long.” He saw her look of shock, but continued on. “Last year while trying to find Rodney after he was abducted by the Wraith, we finally let our love for each other show and announced our engagement.”

Teyla blushed once again. “I must admit to knowing the last part. I … came here a few days ago and saw the picture taken at our … engagement party. At the time, I was confused and unsure as to the status of our engagement.”

John let out a soft sigh. “I wish you had come to me. I would’ve explained it to you.”

 “That is exactly why I did not come to you. I desired to recover the memories on my own.” Confused and staggered by the revelations, she turned back towards the water.

Silence reigned again as John debated how to drop the last bombshell. Finally he decided to just grab the bull by the horns and see what happened. He moved to stand just behind Teyla’s left shoulder. “Teyla, um … there’s one more thing you need to know.” He took a deep breath. “You’re pregnant.”

The statement was so unexpected that Teyla spun suddenly and caught John in the chest with her elbow. John stumbled backwards into the lounger and fell. He was able to protect his injured shoulder as he fell, but not his head. His temple clipped the lounger as he fell, darkness taking him before he hit the floor.

Teyla stood motionless, reeling from the shock of John’s last statement. _“You’re pregnant.”_ The words echoed in her head. Presumably, the child she was carrying was John’s, since he had clarified what her heart had been trying to tell her.

John.

She looked down and saw her intended lying at her feet unconscious. She knelt to assess his condition. She peeled back his eyelids and was relieved to see that his pupils appeared to be reacting normally. Although the cut on his forehead was almost as long as her littlest finger, the light trickle of blood escaping the wound showed that it was shallow. Teyla fumbled in her pocket for a bandage and pressed it to the wound as she reached for her radio.


	6. Chapter 6

John floated in the darkness. It was peaceful there. There were no decisions, no worries, and no stress. He felt movement, but it was at a distance and only intruded slightly on his darkness. An indeterminate time later, a light made its way past the walls of darkness, but it did not stay long either. After that there were voices, or what he thought were voices, but they didn’t make a dent in the darkness and soon went away. It was only when something else intruded that the darkness became stifling. It took a moment for him to identify it. When he finally did, it started him struggling towards wakefulness. It was guilt.

The darkness was so thick it almost had weight, but John eventually conquered it, cracking his eyes open as his reward. Peering through barely open eyes, John took in his surroundings. Still in Atlantis – check; headache from Hell – check; lying in dimly lit infirmary room – nope. Blinking furiously, he managed to open his eyes more and recognized where he was: his own bedroom … and he was not alone. Carson was seated on the edge of the bed and Teyla was perched cross-legged by his head.

“Wha…?” His question was cut off by a cough.

“Easy, lad,” Carson crooned as he lifted John’s head for a drink of water. “When Teyla called, I thought perhaps another o’ Larrin’s crew had caught up with you. I was relieved to find that you were injured due to an accident.” He reached over and took hold of John’s wrist to check his pulse. “Now, how’re ye feelin’?”

John opened his mouth to proclaim his usual when Carson shot him a hairy eyeball. “Now, afore ye say anythin’, be warned that ’I’m fine’ is not an acceptable answer unless yer tellin’ me that you’re funny, insane, neurotic and emotional.”

A quirky smile lit John’s face as he looked at the doc. “Well, that fits, but I was gonna say that I have a headache.”

Carson put one hand to his chest in shock as the other reached for a pre-filled syringe. “Lord, have Mercy. John Sheppard actually told the truth about his condition. Shall wonders never cease?”

John’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t push it, Carson.” 

Carson chuckled. “Aye, lad. I’m just enjoyin’ this side of you.” He tucked the now empty syringe away and held up a small brown plastic bottle. “You ought to be feelin’ better soon. Take two of these if yer headache isn’t better in eight hours. Now, I want you on bed rest for the rest of the day.” John started to protest but Carson held up a hand. “I didna have to put any stitches in yer hard noggin, but you do have a nasty lump on your temple. Teyla is going to take care of you and you are going to do as she says otherwise I’ll be pulling out the big needles for yer next inoculations.”

John raised his right arm in salute. “Yes sir.”

Carson just shook his head and chuckled as he gathered his things. “Cheeky rascal. You just remember what I said, you hear me?”

John nodded cautiously. “I gotcha, doc, and thanks for the house call.”

Carson patted him gently on the leg. “Get some rest and call if the headache gets worse.” He waved at the pair as he slipped out, the door closing with a soft whisper.

John wiggled a bit to get more comfortable before looking up at Teyla. “I’m s-“

The rest of what he planned to say was blocked by a set of slender fingers. “Do not apologize, John Sheppard. This is not your fault and I will not allow you to take the blame for it upon yourself.” She sighed then moved her hand from his lips to his hair. “It is my fault you were injured again. When you informed me that I am with child,” her other hand shifted to caress her still flat stomach, “it surprised me and I turned without realizing how close you were standing.”

John shook his head. “I shouldn’t have been standing that close. I knew it would be a shock for you and didn’t think to move first.”

Teyla stopped threading her fingers through his hair. “Then we shall agree that we are both at fault and leave it at that.”

A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “I can agree to that.”

Teyla shifted slightly, moving nearer to his head. “Now, I believe Carson said that you should rest.”

“He did, but,” he moved his head a fraction to look at her, “the shot he gave me only took the edge off and my head still hurts.”

“Then I shall try something Charin used to do for me.” She had him move so she could sit behind his head. Reaching down, she gently worked the fingers of both hands through his soft, thick hair until she reached his scalp. His eyes closed as her fingers started working through his hair. She moved them in small, soothing circles along his scalp. At first he made no sound, and then she noticed a soft hum drifting up to her ears. A pleased smile lit her face as she massaged his scalp. After a time, she noticed the humming had ceased. It had been replaced with the soft breath sounds of a deep sleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John felt much better the following day, although the headache still plagued him a bit. He fixed a late breakfast for him and Teyla so they wouldn’t have to deal with the questions in the mess hall. While eating, John realized that, with as much of her memory as Teyla had regained, he had the means to help her put them into perspective and to fill in the blanks.

While he was cleaning up, Teyla drifted through the suite. Sometimes she would stop, pick up an item, examine it, and then put it back down. Other times, she would pick up an item and stand frozen, the item clutched in stiff hands. Each time that happened, John tensed with worry. He finished cleaning the kitchen as Teyla finished her examination of a carved statue they were gifted with on Melora. He intercepted her before she could move on to another item.

“Teyla, I know how to restore the rest of your memory.” John said.

Teyla paused at his words. She looked up at his face into his eyes. The green was prevalent today, the brown and gold serving as accents. “How?”

“By joining your mind to mine,” he replied. “Then I can help you put your memories into order and fill in the missing pieces.”

“How would we do this … joining?”

“Through the _shareen_ bond that we share. You may not remember it, but we formed the bond on the planet we call Timbre.” His face flushed in remembrance. “We talked about how much we love each other and you asked me to marry you. It was also the first time we made love.”

The existence of the bond solved a mystery for Teyla. Since she had first awakened after the accident, she had felt a connection to John. The _shareen_ bond explained it perfectly.

John took her hand and guided her to the room they had set up for meditation. With so much room in the tower, it made sense for them to use it. The room was comfortably appointed in warm earth tones with a scattering of objects that could be used as focal points. He led Teyla to the center of the room where two soft floor pillows waited. She settled on one while he eased onto the other after removing the sling from his left arm.

“Now, I need you to enter a light trance state. Once you reach it, I can reach out to you and help you.”

“When did you learn this? I have searched the memories I have and they show you to be a poor student when it comes to meditation.”

John chuckled. “Not that poor. I don’t do meditation as an exercise by itself. I prefer to use it to stay focused instead of blocking out everything. ”

“Ah,” she said. “That makes sense.”

Teyla closed her eyes and started down the path to inner stillness and the trance state that John said she would need.

John closed his eyes and reached for his core. This would be a lot harder than reaching out to talk to Teyla through the bond. As he went deeper, his awareness of his surroundings grew. He heard the birds outside calling, the whisper of the ventilation system, and felt the faint breeze upon his skin. He also felt Teyla sitting across from him as a pulsing form of energy. This confirmed how unsettled she was by everything that had happened. 

He extended tendrils of thought towards her, testing her readiness to receive. The first few were gently rebuffed, but the next group was accepted. The slender threads made their way in, linking their minds more fully than had happened during the original bonding. Sifting through her memories, John had to stay in control and not allow himself to be drawn in. Before suggesting this, he’d talked to Carson and Carson told him that there were small protein markers that linked memories essentially acting as a timestamp. John looked for those markers on Teyla’s memories and, instinctively interpreting them, matched them to each other and placed them in the proper order. He then went back and used his own to fill in the blanks and cement the pieces together.

He was unaware of the passage of time while entranced and was surprised at how late it was when he opened his eyes. Looking across, John was happy to see that Teyla was surfacing as well. He groaned as he rose from the floor, his body stiff from staying motionless for five hours. He started to raise his arms over his head and stretch, but his shoulder twinged and reminded him that it would be a bad idea. 

John left the room and headed for the kitchen. He knew she would come out of the trance when she was ready. He’d had a friend in college that was into meditation and she always ate after doing any kind of mental exercise. She said it was because it grounded you back into your body as well as replenishing the energy you’d used. At the time he’d humored her, but now, he realized just how right she’d been.

He reached the kitchen and stopped in surprise. Sitting on the table was a plate of sandwiches, a bag of roasted garlic and sea salt potato chips, a 2 liter bottle of Coke and a pitcher of tea. His headache chose that moment to try and reassert itself, so John headed to the bedroom where he took one of the pills Carson had left, then went back and ate. Teyla walked in just as he was starting his second sandwich and gracefully sat down at the table before digging into the food.

Hunger assuaged, his pace slowed so he could watch Teyla. They talked of recent events and of some of the things she had seen while roaming the city. He tried to hide it, but the longer she went without bringing up part of their relationship, the more anxious he was becoming as to whether the transfer worked.

When she finished, Teyla rose, gathered the dishes and took them into the kitchen. When she returned, she took John’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come, you are still supposed to be resting.” Reaching the bedroom, she pushed him down onto the bed.

John sat back up, or at least tried to. Teyla kept pushing him down. “What are you doing? I can rest on the lounger out on the balcony.”

Teyla tugged his shirt off and started on his pants. “Yes, you could. If you were going to be sleeping. I remembered an article in a magazine that Laura Cadman loaned to me. It mentioned … unusual remedies for certain ailments, including headaches.”

“What remedies?” John asked suspiciously.

“This one.” Teyla swung her leg across his lap and planted herself fully across his thighs before leaning forward to capture his lips with hers. John groaned in response as his lips parted to allow her tongue to slip in and dance with his own. He felt something else stirring down below and was suddenly glad that Teyla had unfastened his pants and peeled them back.

When she rose up to strip off her own clothes, he took advantage of the moment. He scooted onto the bed fully and tossed his pants and boxers off to one side.

Teyla tossed the last of her clothes aside, then stalked up the bed on her hands and knees. Straddling his legs, she allowed her nipples to skim along his flesh. Reaching his manhood, she leaned in and nuzzled his balls, licking and gently sucking on the hard pink globes. His moans spurred her on and her tongue edged lower to tease the tender spot just below them. Feeling it harden beneath her strokes, she clamped her lips around it and sucked. From the corner of her eye, she saw his cock jerk in response.

“Oh, Teyla!”

She pulled away from the sensitive bit of skin and licked her lips. A small, wicked smile graced her face as she shifted her focus to his shaft. Her tongue slipped out to tease the opening of his cock and circled it in a slow, wet curve.  He moaned again as she caught the head of his erection with her mouth and swirled her tongue around it. Teyla loved that she could reduce John to a quivering mass just by using her tongue. Her head bobbed and each time she went down her mouth slid a little lower along his velvet covered shaft. She cast her eyes forward to watch his reactions. John’s eyes were closed; his breathing was heavy and his fists were clenched in the sheets.

Teyla rose upwards, allowing John’s hard member to slide from her mouth slowly. She gave the head a last lick before allowing it to slip away. Easing forward, she planted light kisses along his lightly furred stomach. She could feel his body tremble in anticipation as she kissed her way up his chest. She reached his nipples and drew the first one into her mouth and then the other, licking, sucking and biting while rubbing her sex on his manhood until John cried out.

John reached for her and ran the palms of his hands along the curves of her golden globes, his fingers pinching and twisting her nipples in just the right way to drive her wild. As the heat in her loins increased exponentially, Teyla allowed him his fun. He was trying to get her worked up to such an extent that the only way to quench the heat would be to sheathe his shaft inside her secret place.

Teyla decided to take pity on him and positioned her opening over the head of his shaft, shifting her hips a few times to tease John further before she pushed down on his manhood. His gasp was echoed by her own as his thick shaft entered her tight, wet sex. Raising her hips, she eased off him almost to the end before going back down. She thrust down further each time she rose until their bodies met. She leaned forward again and resumed her attack on his nipples as she slowly worked his cock. Eventually, Teyla’s growing desire became too large to contain any further and her gyrations increased until the smack of flesh and moans of passion filled the room. John’s breathing caught as his orgasm hit, and he let out a wordless shout as a stream of heat shot into her inner regions. His release triggered hers and she cried out as her body tightened around his shaft, causing him to thrust deeper and fill her further, which intensified her own orgasm. Finally, Teyla collapsed across John’s heaving chest totally spent and satiated.

John wrapped his arms around her, cradling her to his broad chest, her panting breaths stirring the hair on his chest. “Teyla, that was … incredible.” He smiled as she shifted just enough to gaze into his hazel eyes. “I guess we don’t have to worry about your memory anymore, right?”

Teyla raised her head and playfully flicked the end of her tongue on the tip of his nose. “No, we do not.”

“I’m just glad I won’t have to lie to Torren when Halling brings him home,” John said as Teyla eased off and headed to the bathroom. “Now we just have to deal with Larrin’s guy.”

Teyla sat on the side of the bed while John cleaned up. “Larrin can wait. Carson said for you to rest and relax today.”

John chuckled. “Somehow, I don’t think mind-blowing sex was what he had in mind.”

“It may not be, but it is relaxing and good for the body and mind.” They dressed, exchanging kisses and caresses each time they passed. Teyla helped John settle the sling for his arm once he finished dressing. “Now, you are going to lie on the balcony and rest while I meditate. Even though my memory is intact, I feel that I need to become … reacquainted with some of them.”

John ran his free hand through his hair. “Yeah, I can understand that.”

Under Teyla’s watchful eye, John settled on his lounger and soon slept. Teyla brought a pillow out to the balcony and watched him sleep while she traveled the paths of her mind.


	7. Chapter 7

Larrin was having a very bad week. Her week had started off great, as she was on Atlantis and could pursue John Sheppard. Then it turned sour when he proved adept at avoiding her. Catching him in the workout room alone after she slipped her escort was a stroke of luck. His outright rejection of her stunned and angered her. She was certainly more worthy as a mate for someone of his status than a homeless Athosian warrior woman, even if she was the leader of her people. She completely lost all semblance of control when she saw John on the ground and her faithful Dobie unconscious nearby. All of which led her to now. 

It had been three days since John had been injured. Every time she called to inquire about him, she was told by a well-meaning underling that Colonel Sheppard was fine, but that he was not accepting calls or visitors. Three hours ago, a team led by Major Lorne appeared at the foot of Storm Chaser’s boarding ramp and informed her that her presence was requested by Director Woolsey. Upon entering the city, she had been searched by a muscular woman who then took up position at her side. It was clear that she would not be given the opportunity to repeat her actions of her previous visit.

Her meeting with Director Woolsey further ruined her week. She was shown a recording of her meeting with John with her storming from the room after he rebuffed her, Dobie’s attack shortly after she left, Teyla saving John from Dobie, and then her fight with Teyla. 

“Commander Larrin, because of the actions of yourself and a member of your crew, my Military Commander Colonel John Sheppard was grievously injured. As reparation, we request that you turn over all drone weapons aboard your ship.” Woolsey’s gaze was disconcerting and made her feel like the spoiled child she had acted like. “Before you think to prevaricate, we know how many are onboard your vessel.”

“That’s unacceptable. That would leave my ship defenseless.”

“You cannot use them in battle. Your people are not descended from the Ancestors, which means you have no one that can operate the Control Chair in order to fire the drones. Your ship would still have its other weaponry so it would be far from defenseless.” Woolsey regarded her coolly. “Of course, if you refuse, I can withdraw our engineers from your ship and ask you to leave. With the current state of your ship, Dr. Zelenka tells me that you might reach a safe world where you could land to affect repairs … if it doesn’t break open and spill your crew into the vastness of space.”

“Fine,” she growled. Her week was already horrible, how much worse could it get? 

Woolsey stood, signaling that the meeting was over. “Oh, before I forget, I have one other thing to tell you. You will not be allowed to enter the city from this moment forward unless summoned.”

Larrin felt like her heart had just been ripped out. It was bad enough that she was being barred from the city, but to hear that she would be unable to catch even a glimpse of John made it worse. She followed blindly as her escort formed up to take her back to her ship. Exiting the conference room, she spotted Teyla on the floor near the Gate. The ring flared to life and a tall man carrying a child stepped through, accompanied by two younger.

She watched as Teyla took the child hugging him close.

“Hello, Torren. I have missed you.” Teyla’s words floated up to her.

“Mama!” the child called as he caught sight of her.

The tall man smiled and passed the child to Teyla as he greeted her in the traditional manner of the Athosians.

“Halling, it is good to see you. Are you well?”

“It is good to see you, Teyla. I am well. Jinto and Wex have expressed an interest in learning more about Earth. I was hoping that Colonel Sheppard would be here. He said he was going to arrange for them to spend some time with his troops as they are interested in Earth’s military.”

At that moment, motion below heralded John’s arrival.

“Dada!” Torren cried out, straining towards John from Teyla’s arms.

John hurried the distance and, though he was favoring his left shoulder, carefully took Torren from Teyla. “Hey, buddy. Did you miss me?”

“Dada, I miss you!” Torren flung his arms around John’s neck and kissed him on the cheek.

“I missed you too.” John replied as he hugged the boy to him.

“They make a nice couple, do they not?”

Larrin turned. Woolsey had come up to stand near her. “I suppose so.” She turned back to the scene below.

“They are very devoted to each other,” Woolsey said. 

Her shoulders slumped in defeat; Larrin stared at Woolsey, despair writ large on her face. Glancing down at the tableau below, she recognized the truth of his words. “I’ll have my crew unload the drones.”

Woolsey acknowledged her surrender with a tight smile. “No need.” He leaned over the rail. “Colonel, you can unload the drones.”

Larrin was curious. How was John to unload them with an injured shoulder? She watched as John climbed the Grand staircase.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

John glanced at his watch. He was late. Halling would have dialed in almost five minutes ago. He quickened his pace and soon spotted Teyla holding Torren while talking with Halling, Jinto, and Wex. Both boys had grown from skinny teenagers to well-built young men.

“Dada!”

Torren’s cry put a smile on his face and he closed the distance with a spring in his step. “Hey, buddy. Did you miss me?”

Torren flung his arms around John’s neck. “Dada, I miss you!” he said as he kissed John on the cheek.

He hugged his son tighter. “I missed you too.” He felt eyes on him from above and recalled that Woolsey was supposed to be meeting with Larrin this morning. He pushed the feeling from his mind as he conversed with Halling and the boys. A call from above interrupted the conversation.

“Colonel, you can unload the drones,” Woolsey’s voice floated down from above.

John climbed the Grand Staircase with Torren still perched on his hip, aware he was being watched from above and being followed from behind. He noted movement at the top and saw Larrin being moved to one side. She would be able to see the monitor, but not what he was doing.

He reached the top of the stairs and walked over to the main console in the back. He set Torren down on one chair before he sat on the other. Reaching up, he tapped a few crystal keys and brought the image of Larrin’s ship, Storm Chaser, up on the monitors. He touched a few more keys then placed his right hand palm down on a scanner plate that slid out of a hidden recess. He watched as a hatch opened in the deck plates and a mechanical armature that resembled a rolling staircase from an airport rose to the surface. When it locked in place, a blue beam shot out and struck a small optical sensor on the ship. The loading access for the drone bay opened slowly, stiff from years of disuse. Once it finally locked in place, the armature extended into the bay and soon dull yellowish objects were passing down into the city’s storage where they would be transferred to the launchers after evaluation. John observed impassively as the ship was emptied. When Atlantis signaled it was done, he lifted his hand and nodded to Woolsey.

“Thank you, Colonel.” Woolsey turned to Lorne and Dusty. “Major, Sergeant, please escort Commander Larrin back to her ship now.”

Lorne and Dusty took up positions around her, the rest of the escort falling in.

Once Larrin was out of sight, John scooped Torren back up and the extended family headed for the infirmary. That’s where they dropped Jinto and Wex off. Since the teens had expressed a desire to train with John’s Marines, they needed to have a full physical performed. John arranged for the boys to meet them in the mess hall. After lunch they would be placed into the clutches of Gunnery Sergeant Ortiz and the grunts of his training platoon.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Everyone gathered in John and Teyla’s quarters for dinner. Lorne, Halling, and Amelia arrived first followed shortly by Carson. Lorne helped John in the kitchen while Amelia and Carson made sure there was plenty of seating. Halling kept Torren occupied. Anne Teldy and her team showed up with the food, Radek trailing with a cooler full of drinks. Ronon, Rodney and Woolsey were the last to arrive; Ronon and Rodney with snacks for the after dinner movie and Woolsey with a few bottles of sparkling cider.

The cider was put to chill while the group ate. Everyone except for Ronon, Rodney and Carson kept shooting the couple wondering glances throughout the meal which John and Teyla ignored. They watched John and Teyla take turns feeding Torren so they all got dinner.  After dinner, John fetched the cider and poured for everyone except Torren. 

John stood and looked around the table, seeing so many familiar and loved faces. “First of all, I’d like to thank each of you for coming and for helping to make this a successful evening.” Teyla moved closer and the pair clasped hands. “We asked you all here because Teyla and I have some news we’d like to share with our family and close friends.”

Teyla placed her free hand upon her belly. “I am with child once again.”

Cheers erupted along the length of the table. Torren stared at his mother in confusion. “You have a baby in your belly? How it get there?”

John blushed, which set Ronon and Rodney to laughing. He bent down to Torren’s level. “I put it there. In eight months it will come out and you’ll have a little brother or sister to play with.”

“You put a baby in Mama’s belly?” Torren asked.

“I sure did. Me and your Mom talked about it and decided that we want more kids.”

Torren’s head drooped. “You don’t want me anymore?”

John gathered him close and walked into his bedroom. “Oh, Torren, we still want you. You’ll always be first in our hearts.” He placed a gentle kiss on the top of his head as they sat on the edge of the bed. “But your Mom and I have a lot of love to share and we thought you would like a playmate.”

Torren popped his thumb in his mouth and sucked on it furiously for a minute. “Otay, I lite ta have someone to play with.”

John settled a little more comfortably. “Well, at first they’ll be really small, but they’ll get big real fast.”

“How small they be?’

John held his hands out. “Well, I don’t know, but when you were born I could hold you in my hands.”

Torren’s eyes got real big. “I was small but I got big.”

John nodded. “Yep, and they will too.”

Torren stood up on the bed and threw his arms around John’s neck. “I love you, Daddy. I sorry I think you not love me anymore.”

John wrapped his arms around Torren. “Hey, it’s okay. I bet my brother felt the same way when I was born.”

“Da, you have a brother?”

“I do, and someday you’ll get to meet him.”

They rose and returned to the main room. Carson greeted them as they entered.

“Everythin’ alright, lad?”

“Just fine, Carson.”

They headed back to the table, Carson on their heels. As they resumed their places, Woolsey raised his glass.

“I would like to propose a toast: To Teyla and John, may all of your children bring you joy and fulfillment.”

A chorus of “hear, hear” sounded from the gathering as everyone drank their cider. 

“Congratulations, Sir, Ma’am.” Lorne said. “Do you know the expected delivery date yet?”

Teyla shook her head. “Not yet, Evan.”

“Well, we’ve got a whole lot of Marines that will be anxiously waiting to see who wins the pot.”

Teyla arched a delicate brow at him. “The soldiers have been betting on us?”

Rodney passed by and heard her. “Teyla, soldiers will bet on just about anything.”

Radek was at his side as the pair was setting up for the movie. “Yes, yes. Many scientists will do so also.”

Refreshments ready, everyone settled in to watch the night’s movie – _Mr. and Mrs. Smith_.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Larrin was pacing as _Storm Chaser_ readied for departure. Her ship was functioning better than it had in a long time. The Lanteans were very industrious. She was not looking forward to explaining to the rest of the Captains why her ship no longer had its cargo of drones. Some of the scientists had achieved limited success at arming and launching them without an Ancestor, but the process only worked part of the time.

A whisper sounded from behind her and she turned to see who had intruded on her. There were a lot of people that she would have expected to see, but the ones standing there were the last she would have looked for.

Standing before her was Teyla Emmagan and … Colonel John Sheppard.

“Colonel Sheppard, I did not expect to see you aboard my ship.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t expect to see me here either.” He glanced back at Teyla then faced her once more. “McKay and Zelenka are doing a final inspection before you leave. Ronon and a squad of my men are with them. I came along because I wanted to see what had been done, but also to tell you goodbye.”

“After our last meeting, I thought never to see you again.”

John briefly let his fingers caress the butt of his pistol. “Teyla insisted that I should see you off.” He pulled his hand away and stuck it in his pocket. “Look, Larrin, you’re a nice lady and someday you’ll find a guy to make babies with, but it won’t be me.”

Teyla stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder. “John and I are very happy together. I am carrying his child and we shall be finalizing our union soon.”

Larrin’s temper flared. She had tried to be civil and polite, but this …! She moved forward, hand held high, but jerked to a stop after only two steps. She struggled to free herself from the iron grip that had captured her, but found it impossible. She ceased her struggles and looked up into the dark eyes of John Sheppard.

“I am not going to let you do that.” His voice was soft, but with an edge of steel. “You have hit both of us all you’re going to.” He leaned in close and whispered, “Remember who I am. I can set this ship to blow once you’re far away from here and no one can stop me.”

Larrin glared at him, anger and fear mixing on her face. “You are a bastard!”

John shot her an evil grin. “I can be. I have been patient with you. Don’t try my patience further.” He released her and she quickly stepped away as he returned to Teyla’s side. He looped his arm around Teyla’s shoulders and smiled. “Well, we’ll be seeing you. Take care.” He gave her a little wave and they left.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_*“Lantis, retract the docking clamps. Storm Chaser is leaving and everyone is where they should be.”*_

_*“Very well, my son. I wish to congratulate you and your mate. It has been too long since my corridors have rang with the sound of children’s laughter. I look forward to helping to nurture your children.”*_

Atlantis’ phrasing caught John’s attention as he and Teyla stood on their balcony.

_*“Do you know something I don’t?”*_

_*“I know much that you do not, my son.”*_ Atlantis sounded smug in his head, but no matter how he asked she would not expound on her earlier comment.

John growled under his breath. “Damn city’s keepin’ secrets.”

“John, is everything alright?”

He hugged Teyla tight, tucking her head beneath his chin. “Everything is just fine. Atlantis just wanted to congratulate us, and the way she said it piqued my curiosity, but she won’t explain.”

Teyla clasped his arms to her chest. “We shall find out when it is needful for us to do so. Until then we shall not worry about it.”

They stood and watched as _Storm Chaser_ lifted off from the pier and followed it until it was out of sight. They stayed that way for a time until John heard Teyla’s stomach rumble.

“C’mon, let’s go inside. I’ll fix us some food and we can watch the football games that Cam sent me in the last databurst.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

Arms around the other, they walked back inside to enjoy the peace and serenity of an evening watching football, content to wait until the next mishap arrived.

_\--- And Life Goes On ---_


End file.
